Bluewater Bombers’ bid for freedom from prison
TWO OF the “Bluewater bomb” terrorists involved in a plot to carry out atrocities across the country have launched a bid for freedom – despite having being warned they could spend the rest of their life behind bars.
Terror cell ringleader Omar Khyam, 40, and Anthony Garcia, 39, were among five men jailed for life in April 2007 after they were found guilty of a conspiracy to start a series of fertiliser-based explosions. Targets included the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, London’s Ministry of Sound nightclub and gas and electricity supply stations.
Khyam, from Crawley,west Sussex, and Garcia, from Barkingside, east London, were found guilty of conspiring to cause explosions likely to endanger life and possessing 600kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser for terrorist purposes.
After the Old Bailey trial both were jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years, beginning when they were first remanded in March 2004.
The judge, Sir Michael Astill, told the five they may spend the rest of their lives in prison but added this was “not a foregone conclusion”.
The trial heard in 2003 that the pair travelled to
Pakistan and attended an Al Qaeda training camp. Their group network was closely tied to the terrorists who went on to carry out the July 7 tube bombings in 2005.The gang were also disciples of hate preacher Anjem Choudary.
Khyam met two of the July 7 bombers at a training camp in Pakistan in July 2003.
Although their minimum terms have yet to expire, the Parole Board has confirmed both have launched a bid for freedom through parole review hearings, which will look at whether they could be released or sent to an open prison. Khyam has an oral hearing in November. Garcia’s parole hearing started earlier this month but had to be adjourned for a reason that has not been released.
Yet claims emerged just 19 months ago that Garcia was radicalising other inmates at HMP Full Sutton, near Pocklington, in East Yorkshire.
The Times reported that security services sources had told that he influenced extremists, including Usman Khan, who stabbed five people, two fatally, in the November 2019 London Bridge terrorist strikes, and Khairi Saadallah, who knifed three people to death in Reading in June 2020.
Dr Paul Stott, head of security and extremism at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said he is concerned about the pair’s possible release.
He said: “There have been so many problems with ex-terrorists being released.
“They were both highly connected with an Islamist network across Crawley and Luton, and Khyam was clearly the ringleader.
“Not only did he go to a training camp in Pakistan, he went to Afghanistan and would be coming out at a time when the Taliban has regained a lot of power. These guys have a lot of patience and sometimes it is our lack of endurance to deal with this that is the problem.”